Walks in the Garden

Prepare yourself to be dazzled and inspired

Gardens come in many colors and sizes, each
reflecting a unique personality. In the coming weeks, you will have some
wonderful opportunities to be inspired by what other gardeners have
accomplished. Five beautifully diverse gardens will be
featured in “A Symphony of Gardens 2006,” sponsored by the
Illinois Symphony Guild of Springfield, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, June 25.
Tickets, which cost $12 in advance, are available at Wild Birds Unlimited
(1930 S. MacArthur Blvd.), Beatty TeleVisual (1287 W. Wabash Ave.), and the
Illinois Symphony Orchestra office (524 E. Capitol Ave.). The price for
tickets on the day of the event, which are available at the garden
locations, is $15. This year’s gardens are the Muller
Japanese-style garden, 1520 Denison Dr., where you’ll find a
waterfall and koi pond as focal points; the Riseman shade garden, 2205 S.
Park Ave., featuring a “bog bed” for moisture-loving plants;
the Dinges garden, 1924 Noble Ave., boasting a collection of hydrangeas,
rhododendrons, and viburnums; the Noonan garden, 1525 S. Willemore Ave., in
which a 60-year-old magnolia is the focal point of English-style plantings;
and the McDonald garden, 1136 Woodland Ave., with a charming cottage garden
in front and peaceful bird sanctuary in back. Spend a day strolling through nine beautiful
gardens in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 17.
Get new ideas for your garden, take pictures, and chat with the homeowners
and master gardeners. To purchase advance tickets, which cost $10, send a
check to the Madison County Extension Education Foundation, P.O. Box 427,
Edwardsville, IL 62025. For $28, you can get an advance ticket that
includes lunch at the historic Stephenson House. Tickets on the day of the
tour cost $12; they are only available at the University of Illinois
Extension, 900 Hillsboro in Edwardsville. A plant sale and garden flea
market will also be held at this location. For more information, call
618-650-7050. The largest sycamore tree in Logan County, a
raised-bed worm farm, native woodland flowers, formal English gardens of
roses surrounded by boxwood hedges, and butterfly gardens are just a few of
the features of the “Thru the Garden Gate” garden walk, 9
a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Advance tickets, costing $8, may be ordered
through the Logan County Extension Office at 217-732-8289. Tickets cost $10
on the day of the walk and may be purchased at one of the Lincoln garden
locations, including 31 Illini Dr., 134 DeBruler Dr., 521 Second St., 10
Oakwood Dr., 404 Tremont St., 216 Tremont St., and 606 N. Hamilton St. The “Along the Garden Path” garden
walk will feature eight private Champaign-Urbana gardens. Master gardeners
will also showcase their award-winning display garden, the Idea Garden.
Garden vendors will be at the Idea Garden for your shopping pleasure. This
event, sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension Champaign County
Master Gardeners, will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Ticket are
$8 in advance. Tickets cost $10 the day of walk and may be purchased at the
Idea Garden, located at the corner of Lincoln and Florida avenues in
Urbana. For ticket information, call 217-333-7672. Plan to explore several beautiful gardens owned
or maintained by University of Illinois master gardeners in the Quincy area
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Gardens to be featured on this
year’s tour are Patty Vogel’s, at 2600 Old Orchard Rd.; Barb
Richmiller’s, at 720 Pawn Ave.; and Carrie Edgar’s, at 2040
Prairie Ave. The Illinois Veterans Home Memorial Garden, maintained by the
Adams/Brown Master Gardeners, is also included on the tour. The cost of the
tour is $5 per person; tickets may be purchased at any of the garden sites
the day of the tour. For more information, call 217-223-8380. Some guidelines for anyone going on a garden walk:
Wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and a hat, and don’t
forget to take your camera, pen, and paper to help you remember great
ideas. Remember, most events are held rain or shine. .